Freeland w



(No Model.)

V F. W. OSTROM.

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR BUTTON HOLE STITGHING MACHINES.

7 No. 367,315. Patented July 26, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

FREELAND -W. OSTROM, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO THE WHEELER& \VILSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR BUTTON-HOLE-STITCHING .MACHlNES.

SPECIFICATION fcrming part of Letters Patent No. 367,315, dated July 26,1887.

Application filed May 20,1886. Serial No. 202,734. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREELAND W. OSTROM, of Bridgeport, county ofFairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement inCutting Mechanism for Button-Hole- Stitching Machines, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

Prior to this invention the throat-plate employed in sewing-machines forstitching and cutting button-holes has had a needle-hole and a slit incommunication therewith for the passage of the cutteremployed in theformation of the button-holev slit, as shown in United States Patent No.303,454, and the said throatplate, as therein shown, has been providedwith a plate acted upon by a spring, the edge of the said plate next thesaid slit serving to partially close the said slit, but moving asideunder the action of the descending cutter. The chief object of the saidspring-actuated or yielding plate was to prevent the passage of thegoods through the slit in'the throat when being acted upon or cut by thecutter, the edge of which is beveled, the beveled edge of the cutter coming in contact with the edge of the said plate.

In practice I have ascertained by experiment that it is essential to thebest working of a cutting mechanism composed ofor having a reciprocatingcutter or blade located normally above the material and a cooperatingplate below the material that the plate below the material be madeadjustable with relation to the cutting-edge of the cutter or bladeabove 7 the material, and to effect this adjustment is the chief objectof my invention. In accordance with my invention I hav provided thethroat-plate at that side of the slit therein opposite the saidspring-plate with an adjustable cutter-plate.

The cutter-carrying bar described in the patent referred to wasextendedthrough bush-' ings placed in usual hearings or guides such asemployed for guiding the prosser-bar; but

'in practice I have ascertained that it is neces sary to adjust thecutter-bar so that theedge ofthe cutter or blade carried by it may bereadily made to occupy a position not only parallel with the stitchingfor the opposite sides of the stitched button-hole, but also cen-.

tral with relation to thestitches forming the sides of the button-hole.

To provide for the adjustment ofthe cutter or blade centrally withrelation to the stitched button-hole is also one of the features of mypresent invention, the device herein shown by which to effect the saidadjustment being an eccentric bushing. V H

Figure 1 in front elevation shows asufficient v portion of a button holestitching machine to enable my invention to be understood; Fig. 2, aside elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a section in the'line x m, Fig. 1,through the device for adjustingthe cutter-bar. Fig. 4 showsthethroat- 6plate detached; Fig. 5, an under side view of the throat-plate; Fig. 6,a section of Fig. 5 in the line 00' 00,- Fig. 7, a vertical section ofthe eccentric bearing, to be referred to; Fig. 8, a vertical section ofthe upper bearingof the cutter-bar, and Fig. 9 a modification of thethroat-plate.

Referring tothe drawings, A represents the bed or cloth plate of themachine; A, part of actuating rock-shaft; A, its arm; A, alink;

2A a needle bar; a, the needle; B, a rotary hook; b, a cutter-carryingbar; b, a cutter attached thereto, and C and C, the members of acloth-holding clamp, and e an upper sleevelike bearing, allsubstantially as in the Patent No. 303,454 referred to. j

The cutter-carrying bar b, just above the point where the cutter orblade I) is attached to it, has a bearing whereby the said cutterbar maybe so adjusted as to place the edge of the cutter or blade centrallywith relation to thetwo lines of stitching to constitute the sides ofthe button-hole slit and so, as to be in line with the needle when thelatter is in position to penetrate the material held by the clamp at theinner line of stitching of one of the sides of the button-hole; andherein to secure such adjustment for said bearing in the simplest form Ihave shown the bearing as made as an 5 eccentric sleeve, as at d.

To obviate cramping of the cutter-bar when adjusted, I have provided thebearing (1 (see Fig. 7) with an annular projection, as at d, and theupper slceve-like bearing, 6, (which is IOO slotted at one side in usualmanner, or as in the Patent No. 303,454 referred to,) is in turnprovided internally with an annular hearing, I

e. The throat-plate c has a needle-hole, c, and leading from the saidneedle-hole is a slit, 0, for the passage of the cutter or blade I). Thesaid throat-plate has connected to it a plate, 0", with which cooperatesa spring, 0, the edge of the said plate during the descent of the cutteror blade in the said slit yielding to the thickness of the said cutteror blade. At the opposite side of the slit 0 (the cutting side) I havemounted upon the throat-plate a cutting-plate, f, to cooperate with theedge of the cutter or blade I), the said cutting-plate f being adjustably attached to the said throatplate by screwsf in slotsf". (SeeFig. 5.)

The cutting-plate is made adjustable with relation to the edge of thecutter or blade b, in order that the said cutter or blade andcutting-plate may be in proper line to correctlyco-operate in cuttingthe material, and to also compensate for wear in grinding the edge ofthe said cutting-plate.

A throat-plate such as shown in my said Patent No. 303,454, when sodulled as to fail to work properly with relation to the upper cutter orblade, had to be thrown away; but with a throat-plate having adetachable and adjustable cutting-plate the latter plate has only to beremoved and re-dressed.

In Fig. #1 the plate 0 and the cuttingplate f are so shaped at theircontiguous edges that portions of the said two plates come in contact,whereby the plate o always follows the adj ustment of the cuttingplate.

In Fig. 9 I have, however, shown a modification of my invention whereinthe said two plates do not contact the one with the other.

It will be noticed that the junction of the cutting-plate fwith the bodyof the throatplate at 4 is somewhat removed from the needle-hole, inorder to prevent the possibility of the thread entering the said jointbetween the cutting-plate and the throat-plate. Herein the material heldby the clamp is stitched while the clamp is moved under the needle, asprovided for in my Patent No. 803,453, and as the stitching for eachbutton-hole is nearly or about completed the cutter or blade 1/ iscaused to descend quickly and cut the material centrally between theline of stitching constituting the sides of the buttoirhole, the clothat such time being held under the needle in position for stitching.

I clain1 1. In a button-hole-stitehing machine, the combination, with acloth-clamp and a vertically-slidiug cuttercarrying bar, of a bearingfor the latter adjustable at right angles to the line of thelongitudinal movement of the said bar, whereby the edge of the cutter orblade may be adjusted centrally with relation to the stitchingconstituting the sides of a buttonhole, substantially as set forth.

2. In a button-hole-stitching machine, the combination, with acloth-clamp, of a vertically-sliding cutter-carrying bar and anadjustable eccentric bearing for the latter, provided with an internalannular projection to prevent the said bar from cramping when adjusted,substantially as set forth.

3. In a button-holc-stitching machine, the combination, with a cutter 01blade and means to actuate it, of a throat-plate having a needlehole,and also a slit for the reception of the said cutter or blade in linewith said hole, and an adjustable plate forming the cutting side of saidslit, substantially as set forth.

4. In a butt0n-holestitching machine, the combination, with a cutter orblade and means to actuate it, of a throat-plate having a needlc-holeand also a slit for the reception of the said cutter or blade in linewith said hole, an adjustable plate forming the cutting side of saidslit, and a yielding or spring-actuated plate forming the opposite sidethereof, substantially as set forth.

5. In a button-hole-stitching machine, the combination, with a cutter orblade and means to actuate it, of a throat-plate having aneedle-hole,and also a slit for the reception of the said cutter orblade in line with said hole, and an adjustable plate forming thecutting side of said slit, the said adjustable plate being at a distancefrom the said hole, whereby the thread is prevented from catching in thejoint, substantially as set forth.

6. In a button-hole-stitehing machine, the

combination, with acutter or blade and means to actuateit, of athroat-plate having a needlehole, and also a slit for the reception ofsaid cutter or blade in line with said hole, an adjustable plate formingthe cutting side of said slit, and a yielding or spring-actuated plateforming the opposite side thereof, the latter plate for a part of itslength being in contact with the said adjustable plate, so as to followup the adjustment of the latter, substantially as set forth.

I11 testimony whereoflhave signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FBEELAND W. OSTROM.

\Vitnesses:

G. W. GREGORY, F. CUTTER.

